"For Christ's sake, stop waving your arms like you're fighting the devil and help me to get you in the boat!"

Either she suffered from a hallucination or the sharked talked to her with Sofia's voice or the blonde was really there and held her like a huge fish that tried to do everything to get back into the water. She made the decision to settle with the last possibility it was the only one that could safe her.

Coughing she grabbed the side of the boat and tried to climb inside while Sofia pulled her in. With one big BANG she ended on the wooden floor, coughed more, eyes closed and face down because her arms and legs were too tired to support her anymore. She was save. She was in a boat. She wouldn't drown, wouldn't be eaten be sharks. She would survive. Ouch her arms and legs. And her eyes. Her throat. She had no idea how much water she had swallowed but it more than it was good for her.

Not moving she stayed on the ground of the boat until she realized it wasn't moving anymore. For a short moment she panicked that the engine didn't work anymore and she would get pulled out to the ocean in the boat. She would dehydrate or starve or eaten by sharks because she was sure they could destroy the boat.

Something got under her armpits and pulled her up.

"Come on Arielle, time to leave the water and get back to the beach. I think that's safer for you."

With shaking legs Sara made a few steps, was more pulled out of the boat than she climbed and ended in the warm sand again. Holly earth, it had never been so wonderful to feel the earth beneath her.

"Sara, are you all right or shall I call a doctor?"

A doctor? No, no doctor she was…"I'm all right."

"Okay. Come on, we get you out of the sand." Sofia pulled Sara up and carried her more than she supported her.

Sara wasn't able to do or to say anything. She felt like she was in a world filled with fog and clouds. Everything seemed to be so unreal. She had no idea where she was, had no idea what she was doing or what was about to happen to her. She tried to walk and that's it.

Suddenly she was laid down on something. Something soft. This wasn't sand. This was more comfortable. Where was she? She wished she could open her eyes and look but they burnt. And she didn't have the energy for that. The only thing she could do was staying like this and wait for a moment to regain power.

Something warm and wet was on her eyes, washed them. It took the salt away, took away the pain. What a nice feeling. Then something cold and fresh was sprinkled on her lips. Water. Real water and not ocean water. There was more. Thirstier than she thought she had been Sara drank the water until it was empty or gone. She wasn't sure.

"Better?" Sofia's voice was back.

"Yes."

"Good."

Carefully Sara opened her eyes. She was in a house. Or a bungalow. Or another kind of building. And laid on a bed. There was a table with an empty glass. Pictures on the wall, a wardrobe, chairs.

"Where am I?"

"Not with Nemo and also not inside a whale. You're at my place."

"How…why…where…"

"I watched you when I left. I knew you're awful stubborn and weren't likely to listen what I had suggest you to do. When I saw you in the water and caught in the outgoing tide I knew you couldn't get yourself out of that. I got my boat and followed you. You could have died, Sara. Never ever do something fucking stupid like this again, do you hear me?"

This was the best chance for Sara to be mad again. She didn't like it when people tried to tell her what to do and what not to do. But the concern more than the fury in Sofia's voice let her only nod.

"Good. Then we can end this topic, no need to talk about for longer. How do you feel?"

"Better. Thanks."

"Anything that hurts?"

"My arms and legs. Or it's more like I can barely feel them because they're so exhausted."

"I bet they are, you did a hell of a swim show out there. That's it? Anything else that doesn't feel normal?"

"That I'm in your house."

Sofia chuckled. "Well, that's unusual and has never happened before, indeed. My bet is you'll survive that too. Maybe not as good as the ocean but you'll make it."

"I guess so." Sara smiled a bit. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For being stupid and ending up in the outgoing tide. I should have listened to you."

"Didn't we agree on not talking about it anymore? It happened, nobody got hurt and it won't happen again. Or do plan to give it another try to swim back to the main island?"

"No. Not before the high tide isn't here."

"That will take a few hours. You can stay and swim if you want but I can also take you back with the boat."

"Sounds good."

"How does some food sound?"

"Very good."

"In that case let's grab a cold beer and get out. I had the fire on a while ago and left some potatoes in the blaze. And as a special treat there should be some fresh bread ready to eat."

On shaking legs Sara followed Sofia out. The home of the blonde was a bungalow twice the size of Saras. There was a terrace going around the whole building and their destination was the side that faced only the ocean. You could watch for miles and saw nothing else than water, water and water. No island, no boat, nothing.

"Nice. I could be there somewhere now." Sara looked at the water. She had been in there somewhere. Had fought, was about to lose. The current had been stronger than she had imagined. The power of nature, it had almost killed her. That's what happen if you act without thinking and went to places you don't belong to.

"Sara."

She felt Sofia's hand on her should and got out of her thoughts.

"You are not there, you are here. You are safe."

"I..I know." Why was her voice shaky? Why had she the feeling there were tears fighting their up and out of her eyes? She was safe, there was no reason to behave like a little girl that had been scared of the boogey man. She could get a grip and pull herself together. She was a grown up woman, a member of the law enforcement, she had survived worse things and…

"Hey." Sofia pulled her in her arms and held her tight.

Maybe it had been too much. Too much to handle and stay cool. Sara couldn't stop the tears anymore and with the tears came sobs and she started to tremble. She had almost lost her life, had risked it for no reason. Just because she was stubborn and stupid.

"I had almost died."

"You didn't die, you're safe and fine."

"I…there wasn't much missing before it had been under water and drowned."

"You were never in danger to drown. I told I had watched you. I would have never let anything happen to you."

"You could have been too late, too far away, too slow."

"Hey, I'm never too late, too far away or too slow. The only reason why I didn't got you out of the water was because you had tried to fight me if I had. I know your stubborn head, you don't give in easily. Not if there might be a chance to make it without my help."

"I'm sorry."

"You are alive, you are fine and there is nothing you have to be sorry about. As long as you won't try that again."

"I won't. Private property, I've no business to be here again so I won't end up in the outgoing tide again."

"Why don't we settle for a compromise? The next time you want to come here to visit me you take a boat. If you end up in a currant on a boat you won't drown. And you tell Rhys that you wanna come here so he can have an eye on you until you're safe with me. I'll make sure you get back home safely and nothing will happen anymore. Deal?"

"Why?"

"Because that way you won't be a shark bait."

"I mean why do you want me here?"

"Because I enjoy my time with you when you're not bitching around and would like to spend some time with you. We haven't seen each other in quite a while. I know we were never close but that shouldn't be a reason not to meet for a beer and a barbecue. I can cater a vegetarian too."

"But…"

"Stop looking for excuses, simply say no if you don't want. Don't make everything difficult, Sara." Sofia's voice wasn't annoyed it was still soft and friendly. It calmed Sara. Made her feel better.

"Maybe I can bring a fruit salad."

"Sounds good." Sofia smiled. "Now, why don't you open the beer while I have a look for our potatoes and the bread? I've no idea about you but I'm starving."

"Me too." Sara admitted. Fighting for her life had made her very hungry. More than she had realized before Sofia had asked her.

"Beauty, Beauty, Beauty, didn't I tell you to stay away from that Island?" Rhys smiled when Sara sat at the bar. Sofia had taken her back to the main island in her boat and left after Sara was safe in the warm sand. All under the watchful eyes of Rhys. Did this man never have time off?

"Most people tell me I'm really bad in taking orders."

"Looks like." He wanted to prepare a cocktail for her but Sara shook her head.

"No more cocktails, Rhys, I'm fine, thanks. I just wanted to say good night to you."

"Do I get a good night kiss?"

"No." Sara laughed. "They told us not to tip the employees."

"Bugger. Have a good night, Beauty. And try not to have too many nightmares, everything is fine."

She looked surprised at him. Did he know what had almost happened to her?

"Rhys, how…"

"Shush, go to bed. It's over and you're fine. Leave it like this and already remember everything happens for a reason." He stopped her with a smile.

"Did she…?"

"Beauty, have a good night." He blew her a kiss and turned to another guest.

For a split of a second she wanted to go to him, ask him why he knew all these things, what Sofia told him. But then she made the decision she didn't want to push him. Maybe he had seen her struggling in the water, called for help, called Sofia. She had no idea. And like both had said: it was over, time to forget it.

She went in her bungalow, had a short shower, brushed her teeth and dropped on her bed.

What a day. It felt like the bed was moving, like she was still in the current of the outgoing tide, still moving in a direction she didn't want to go to. Leave it and forget it. These words were easy to say but hard to live by. How was she supposed to forget it? Her stubbornness, her stupidity had almost killed her.

Sara wanted to thank Sofia. How do you thank a person who saved your life proper? Her life was priceless there was nothing she could buy or do to get even with the blonde. Nothing. No flowers, no bottle of wine, no money, nothing. Plus, she didn't really know Sofia. She had no idea what the blonde liked, disliked, enjoyed, what bored her. They worked together for three years and Sara knew as much as nothing about Sofia Curtis, former detective Curtis, former CSI Curtis, former acting supervisor Curtis. Everything she thought she knew about Sofia was wrong. When she thought Sofia was interested in Grissom he told her there had never been more than a friendship and a respect for the other one. When she thought Sofia went back to the police department because she couldn't stand working for somebody rather than giving the commands she found out Sofia was a team player and didn't react like she was something better than her former colleagues. And now? Sara had no idea why Sofia left the police force to become a diving instructor, she had a few ideas why, all not nice and all were gone after the blonde pulled her out of the water.

Maybe this was a chance to find out who Sofia Curtis really was. What she liked, what made her happy and how Sara could thank her.